Mode switching device for an electrical switch

Abstract

A mode switching or conversion device for selectively altering the operating mode of an electrical switch or other piece of equipment comprises an actuator or locking member rotatable about an axis of rotation which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the housing wall of the electrical switch. The actuator is positionally retained in an opening of this housing wall by means of a bayonet catch or joint. This actuator or locking member is provided with an axially elastic spring or resilient bracket provided with latching cams or lugs which can latch in different positions thereof into latching recesses or pockets of a latching base member of the housing.

Accordingly, what we claim is: 
     
       1. An electrical device containing an electrical switch and mode switching means for switching between a plural number of operative modes of the electrical switches, said device comprising: a housing of the electrical switch;   said housing including a housing wall containing an opening;   a plural number of latching means located at said housing wall in the region of said opening;   said plural number of latching means being arranged in circumferentially mutually spaced relationship;   said plural number of latching means defining a plural number of latching locations each of which is associated with a selected one of the plural number of operative modes of the electrical switch;   a plural number of bayonet claws located at said housing wall and partially extending into said opening substantially in radial direction;   an actuator member mounted in said opening of said housing wall of said electrical switch for rotation about an axis of rotation which extends substantially perpendicular to said housing wall;   said actuator member containing guide ring means interengaged with said bayonet claws or said housing wall and forming a bayonet joint;   said actuator member further containing resilient bracket means extending in substantially arcuate configuration about said axis of rotation of said actuator member;   said resilient bracket means being axially resilient for reversible displacement in a direction of extent of said axis of rotation;   a plural number of latching elements located at said resilient bracket means of said actuator member;   said plural number of latching elements being arranged in circumferentially mutually spaced relationship;   said plural number of latching elements located at said resilient bracket means of said actuator member and said plural number of latching means located at said housing wall having mutually substantially complementary shapes;   at least one operating projection protruding from said actuator member into the interior space of said electrical switch; and   said at least one operating projection, in each rotary position of said actuator member and in which rotary position one of said plural number of latching elements of said actuator member is interengaged with one of said plural number of latching means of said housing wall, acting upon said electrical switch and tbereby placing said electrical switch into said selected operative mode.   
     
     
       2. The electrical device as defined in claim 1, wherein: said plural number of latching means located at said housing wall and defining said plural number of latching locations, constitute latching recesss.   
     
     
       3. The electrical device as defined in claim 1, wherein: said actuator member constitutes a one-piece actuator member;   a hub of said actuator member has an axially outermost end region and an axially intermediate region;   said axially resilient bracket means is located at said axially outermost end region of said hub; and   said guide ring means is located at said axially intermediate region of said hub.   
     
     
       4. The electrical device as defined in claim 3, wherein: said axially resilient bracket means of said actuator member comprise a latching ring containing a plural number of axially resilient brackets;   said latching ring is arranged in a radially spaced relationship with respect to said hub;   said plural number of axially resilient brackets are positioned substantially in a common plane and partially radially spaced from said hub by substantially arcuate-shaped windows;   said opening in said housing wall has a largest size region and an intermediate size region;   a latching base member of said housing wall is located in said largest size region of said opening and equipped with said plural number of latching means;   said latching base member of said housing wall axially inwardly bounds said largest size region of said opening;   said plural number of bayonet claws is located at a region of said latching base member;   a guide base member of said housing wall and which guide base member axially inwardly bounds said intermediate size region of said opening;   said plural number of bayonet claws located at said region of said latching base member of said housing wall protrude axially outwardly through respective ones of said substantially arcuate-shaped windows in said latching ring of said actuator member and radially extend over said guide ring means of said actuator member;   said latching ring of said actuator member is inset into said largest size region of said opening in said housing wall; and   said guide ring means of said actuator member bear upon said guide base member of said housing wall.   
     
     
       5. The electrical device as defined in claim 4, wherein: said plural number of axially resilient brackets of said actuator member carry said plural number of latching elements;   said latching base member of said housing wall further comprises a plural number of limit means constituting limit stops for said latching elements of said axially resilient brackets during said rotation of said actuator member; and   said limit stops of said housing wall are overrun by the latching elements of the axially resilient brackets of said actuator member only during rotation of the actuator member upon assembly of the acutator member and said housing wall.   
     
     
       6. The electrical device as defined in claim 5, wherein: said latching base member of said housing wall contains a plural number of substantially arcuate grooves; and   said latching means and said limit stops being located at said arcuate grooves.   
     
     
       7. The electrical device as defined in claim 6, wherein: said opening of the housing wall having a smallest size region;   a hub of said actuator member having an axially innermost end region;   said axially innermost end region constituting a substantially cylindrical centering element; and   said substantially cylindrical centering element being inset into said smallest size region of the opening in the housing wall.   
     
     
       8. The electrical device as defined in claim 7, wherein: said axially outermost end region of said hub of said actuator member contains a manipulating element for engagement with a tool for rotating said actuator member about its axis of rotation.   
     
     
       9. The electrical device as defined in claim 1, wherein: a hub of said actuator member has an axially innermost end region;   said at least one operating projection extends from said axially innermost end region of said hub; and   said at least one operating projection being eccentrically located at said hub.   
     
     
       10. The electrical device as defined in claim 9, wherein: said actuator member being inserted into said opening in the housing wall and locked in said opening of the housing wall by means of the bayonet joint formed between said bayonet claws located at the housing wall, and said guide ring means of said actuator member.   
     
     
       11. An electrical device containing mode switching means for switching between preselected modes of operation of the electrical device, said electrical device comprising: a housing containing said electrical device;   said housing including a housing wall containing an opening;   latching means located at said housing wall and defining latching locations;   each one of said latching locations corresponding to one of the preselected modes of operation of the electrical device;   bayonet means located at said housing wall and partially extending into said opening;   an actuator member for external operation and movably mounted in said opening of said housing wall of said electrical device;   said actuator member containing engagement means interacting with said bayonet means located at said housing wall in order to form a bayonet lock;   said actuator member containing an axially innermost region and at least one operating projection eccentrically extending from said axially innermost region;   said actuator member comprising axially resilient bracket means; and   said axially resilient bracket means containing latching elements for latching with said latching means located at said housing wall at said latching locations so that said actuator member can be latched in selective ones of said latching locations within said opening in the housing wall.